"I have always considered Saipan the decisive battle of the Pacific [for it] breached Japan’s inner defense line and opened the way to the home islands."

—Lt. General Holland Smith

Sacrifice, Honor, and Remembrance

American Memorial Park honors the sacrifices of American military personnel and island residents involved in the World War II Marianas Campaign. In mid-1944, thousands lost their lives fighting over the strategic island of Saipan. The park is now a "living memorial" and place of remembrance that offers visitors diverse cultural, natural, and recreation opportunities.

A Critical Assault

The Invasion

Seizure of the Mariana Islands occurred in the third year of the war. Saipan, a major Japanese military base, was considered critical for use as an airfield for new American bombers that could easily strike Japan. With 24,000 civilians in urban centers protected by 30,000 Japanese troops, Saipan proved tactically difficult to conquer. American Navy vessels shelled the island for days before 71,000 American troops stormed ashore on June 15, 1944. Japan’s leaders were surprised as they wrongly anticipated an attack further south in the Pacific. Undaunted, the Japanese mustered brutal counterattacks that eventually killed or wounded nearly 25 percent of the invading American troops.

Battle of the Philippine Sea

American troops had been ashore just a few days when the Japanese Navy decided to destroy the US Navy in a final decisive battle. Waves of Japanese aircraft attacked the American fleet from June 19 to 20. As well-trained, experienced American pilots shot down nearly 500 Japanese planes, US submarines sank enemy aircraft carriers. The Japanese fleet would never recover. Their troops on other islands could no longer be resupplied, reinforced, or evacuated. The lopsided battle was soon referred to as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot."

Turning Point

Saipan fell to the Americans on July 9, 1944, after the deaths of nearly the entire Japanese garrison. The loss of Saipan led directly to the resignation of Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo and his entire cabinet. For the first time in the war, defeat could not be hidden from the Japanese people. Within six months, Mariana-based American B-29 bombers attacked and destroyed almost all large Japanese cities. These attacks, culminating in the use of atomic bombs, ultimately ended the war.

"Our war was lost with the loss of Saipan."

—Japanese Vice Admiral Miwa Shigeyoshi

The Human Cost

The fighting for Saipan came at a heavy price. The villages of Garapan and Chalan Kanoa were leveled, and the human toll was staggering. American forces suffered over 3,250 killed in action and more than 13,000 wounded. Fighting almost to the last individual, the Japanese defenders experienced devastating casualties, with nearly the entire 30,000-man garrison lost.

During the weeks of battle, desperate civilians were caught between the opposing forces. As American troops advanced across the island, they found Chamorro and Korean laborers—including women and children—hiding in caves. On July 9, Marines encountered a final horror at Marpi Point. Japanese propaganda had led civilians to believe they would be tortured by occupying forces. Rather than risk capture by the Americans, hundreds of Japanese civilians jumped to their deaths from high cliffs. Others committed suicide with grenades or were killed by Japanese soldiers.

Over 3,250 Americans died in the battle for Saipan, while an estimated 30,000 Japanese perished.

American soldiers often put their own lives in jeopardy to save non-combatants like this woman and her children. Many islanders hid in a system of caves, which were also occupied by Japanese defenders. Trapped and fearful, they endured sickness and starvation.

The US Marine Corps broke a 144-year tradition and enlisted the first African American marines in 1942. Known as "Montford Point Marines" after their segregated camp site at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, they first entered into combat on Saipan.

A Living Legacy

"American Memorial Park will serve as the surrogate memory and living legacy for future generations to comprehend and appreciate the sacrifices, ordeals, and lessons of this segment of World War II history."

—Jonathan B. Jarvis, National Park Service

Changing Cultures, Changing Perspectives

The Chamorros
The seafaring Chamorro people originally settled the Mariana Islands over 3,500 years ago, sailing large outrigger canoes known as "proas" from Southeast Asia. Around 1,000 years ago, they began constructing two-piece megalithic pillar structures out of limestone. These "latte stone" creations still exist on several Mariana Islands. Although they have endured centuries of change, the Chamorro spirit lives on in its people. Today their descendants predominantly use the Chamorro language and continue to preserve their culture and traditions.

New Arrivals: Spanish and Carolinians
Explorer Ferdinand Magellan first sighted the Marianas when he crossed the Pacific in 1521 and made landfall on Guam. Spain officially claimed Saipan in 1565 and later named the islands for their queen, Mariana. Residents were forcibly removed to Rota and Guam under Spanish rule. Saipan remained uninhabited for decades until Carolinians from Satawal under Chiefs Aghurubw and Nguschul sought refuge there after a typhoon destroyed their island. Around 1815 the Carolinians founded a village called Arabwal in what is now American Memorial Park.

Japanese Influence
In 1899, after losing the Spanish-American War, Spain sold the Marianas (excluding Guam) to Germany, who ruled the islands until losing them in World War I. Japan assumed control in 1914, improving health conditions and boosting the economy by exporting and importing various food products. By the time the United States attacked Saipan in 1944, thousands of Japanese, Okinawans, Koreans, and Taiwanese immigrants inhabited the island.

Saipan Today
After World War II, the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands administered the Northern Mariana Islands. In 1978 a commonwealth established in political union with the United States led to the unique island democracy enjoyed by the diverse, multicultural island community today.

Reflect and Remember

The Court of Honor is a memorial to the American military personnel who died during the Marianas Campaign of World War II. In honor of their sacrifices, the names of the fallen are inscribed on the memorial plaques. The Marianas Memorial (right) honors Chamorros and Carolinians who perished during the war.

An Environment to Appreciate and Preserve

The devastation of Saipan in World War II resulted in grave consequences for the island’s coral reefs, beaches, wildlife, and vegetation. Non-native plants and animals introduced during colonial times now threaten to overwhelm Saipan’s natural habitat. Fortunately, ongoing scientific research and environmental restoration efforts are proving successful in preserving Saipan’s resources. Explore the forests, paths, and shores within the park’s 133 acres to appreciate the island’s natural diversity.

A Sanctuary for Rare Plants and Animals
From the knee-like roots of the mangrove trees (Bruguiera gymnorhiza) projecting above saltwater swamps to the native giant ferns (Achrosticum), reed marshes (Phragmites), and drier ironwood groves (Casuarina equisetifolia), the park’s forests shelter a colorful array of native lizards, tree snails, insects, and crabs. Among the 18 bird species found in the park, several are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, including the Mariana moorhen and the Mariana nightingale reed warbler.

Learn, Protect, and Enjoy
The 30-acre wetland and mangrove forest within American Memorial Park provides habitat rarely found in the Northern Marianas. Mangroves occupy an essential role in this ecosystem because they stabilize the shoreline, absorb nutrients, and filter runoff water from the land. These specialized trees also serve as a buffer to adjacent waters, which are home to threatened green and endangered hawksbill sea turtles. The park offers opportunities to learn about how to protect this vulnerable and unique environment so it will thrive and endure for future generations to enjoy.

Visiting the Park

(click for larger map)

American Memorial Park is designed to be a living memorial. Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of activities within the Park, including swimming, wind surfing, Softball, and jogging. Tennis courts are available and are lighted to allow for nighttime use.

Micro Beach, along the western shore, is one of the island's finest white sand beaches. Visitors from outside the tropics are cautioned that they should take care in sunbathing since they may not be used to sunlight this intense.

The twelve-hundred seat amphitheater is the setting for a variety of events, including Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands government functions. Concerts, graduations, performances, and public meetings are also held here.

One major yearly event on Saipan is the Flame Tree Festival. The celebration is held in the late spring to early summer, about the time that the beautiful flame tree bursts into bloom. The schedule of events varies from year to year, and the Park provides a venue for various activities.

Within the boundaries of the Park is the landing site of the first major Carolinian immigration to Saipan. In the Twentieth Century, people tracing their ancestry to this more southerly island chain became a major segment of the population of Saipan.

The Carillon Bell Tower supplements the Park's original World War II monument. It sits in a secluded wooded area, perfect for relaxation or for contemplation.

Caution Do not disturb or remove any munitions you find in the Park. Even after more than fifty years, such items can be dangerous. Leave ordnance where you find it! Notify any member of the park staff of its location so that it can be disposed of safely by trained personnel.

Source: NPS Brochure (2014)

Establishment American Memorial Park — August 18, 1978

For More Information Please Visit The OFFICIAL NPS WEBSITE

Foundation Document, American Memorial Park, Saipan (February 2017)

Foundation Document Overview, American Memorial Park, Saipan (January 2017)

Geologic Map of American Memorial Park (May 2024)

Geologic Resources Inventory Report, American Memorial Park NPS Science Report NPS/SR-2024/147 (Trist L. Thornberry-Ehrlich, June 2024)

Inventory of birds in American Memorial Park, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, with special emphasis on the status of the endangered Mariana Moorhen Pacific Islands Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit Technical Report No. 171 (Mark J. Rauzon, April 2010)

Natural Resource Condition Assessment, American Memorial Park NPS Natural Resource Report NPS/AMME/NRR-2019/1976 (Robbie Greene, Rebecca Skeele Jordan, Janelle Chojnacki and Terry J. Donaldson, August 2019)

Operation Forager: The Battle for Saipan — Commemoration of the 5oth Anniversary (Lori Enfield, 1994)

Vegetation of American Memorial Park, Saipan, Mariana Islands Pacific Islands Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit Technical Report No. 70 (L. Raulerson and A. Reinhart, December 1989)